4 ms·

A programming aptitude test is just an IQ test with another name. >One out of every two people I meet I am confident they could become proficient at programmin

A programming aptitude test is just an IQ test with another name. >One out of every two people I meet I am confident they could become proficient at programming given a solid learning environment. That's quite possible, even if what I say is true. People tend to mix with people on their own intellectual level. The people you talk to enough to get a good estimate of their intelligence are unlikely to be randomly selected from the population. If you believe average people can become good programmers, this implies you could make billions converting 100 IQ people into programmers and then undercutting everyone else. I predict you will fail, unless you figure out a way to vastly deskill the art of programming.

brudgers 9y ago
An alternative way to prevent deskilling programming is to make the tools required to program such that learning to use them becomes mostly a matter of oral tradition rather than accessible. This might (or might not) be happening. For example, the evolution of Javascript from a low status programming language to a high status one has paralleled a shift from a stable core language and a well documented API to the DOM to a combinatorial explosion of changing frameworks and complex development toolchains. Learning some combination gulp and babel and redux and angular(2) and webgl and ten other things is more a matter of access to people who will patiently answer questions than something a person can learn without working on a team.
- Godel_unicode 9y ago
  I think your learning style is leaking through here. While not a JavaScript expert (who designs a language with whitespace/formatting not being a first class concern?) I had no trouble picking it up from the docs and random blog posts. I'm a learn-by-doing type though, YMMV.
  - brudgers 9y ago
    I agree people's mileage varies. My gut is that programming languages have generally evolved in ways that widen that variation and that the explosion in the number of people who are coding due to increased access masks much of that change.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
nitrogen 9y ago
I once worked with a reasonably productive developer who said his IQ was in the mid 80s. I think whatever test he took misjudged him, but it does suggest that, while programming skill might be rare, and might correlate with IQ, it's not a universal law that only high IQ people can become programmers. Also important to remember that some programming is about as complex as simple electrical work, while some is significantly more challenging. It would be unjust to deny people the opportunity to do the former because they can't handle the latter.

brudgers 9y ago

An alternative way to prevent deskilling programming is to make the tools required to program such that learning to use them becomes mostly a matter of oral tradition rather than accessible. This might (or might not) be happening. For example, the evolution of Javascript from a low status programming language to a high status one has paralleled a shift from a stable core language and a well documented API to the DOM to a combinatorial explosion of changing frameworks and complex development toolchains. Learning some combination gulp and babel and redux and angular(2) and webgl and ten other things is more a matter of access to people who will patiently answer questions than something a person can learn without working on a team.

Godel_unicode 9y ago
I think your learning style is leaking through here. While not a JavaScript expert (who designs a language with whitespace/formatting not being a first class concern?) I had no trouble picking it up from the docs and random blog posts. I'm a learn-by-doing type though, YMMV.
- brudgers 9y ago
  I agree people's mileage varies. My gut is that programming languages have generally evolved in ways that widen that variation and that the explosion in the number of people who are coding due to increased access masks much of that change.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

nitrogen 9y ago

I once worked with a reasonably productive developer who said his IQ was in the mid 80s. I think whatever test he took misjudged him, but it does suggest that, while programming skill might be rare, and might correlate with IQ, it's not a universal law that only high IQ people can become programmers. Also important to remember that some programming is about as complex as simple electrical work, while some is significantly more challenging. It would be unjust to deny people the opportunity to do the former because they can't handle the latter.